Pick-up truck box cover

ABSTRACT

A cover assembly for a pick-up truck cargo box includes first and second rails attachable at the sides of the box. A cover has a first resilient hinge strip connecting a first panel to a second panel and allowing the first panel to pivot relative to the second panel. A third panel is attached to the second panel by a second resilient hinge strip, which allows the second panel to pivot relative to the third panel. The panels are supported on the rails. Latches on the panels hold the panels onto the rails. The cover may be opened by sequentially releasing the latches and folding the panels over onto each other.

BACKGROUND

Pick-up trucks are one of the most popular and versatile vehicles in usetoday. Pick-up trucks typically have an enclosed cab and an open cargobox in the rear of the truck. The open cargo box allows all types ofthings to be quickly and easily loaded, carried and unloaded. Despitethis versatility, the open cargo box has multiple significantdisadvantages. First, with the box tailgate closed, the box createssignificant air turbulence and drag on the truck, especially at highspeeds. This reduces the fuel efficiency of the vehicle and may also addto the noise level within the cab. Another disadvantage is the completelack of security. Anything in an open box can be quickly and easilystolen. The open cargo box also leaves the contents of the box exposedto the weather.

Various types of box covers have been proposed to overcome theseproblems. In a primitive form, a box cover may simply be a piece ofcanvas or vinyl fitted over the top of the box and tied down to thetruck. More sophisticated covers made of metal, fiberglass, and plastichave also been used. Still, various disadvantages remain. Many coversleak, allowing rain to enter the box where it can damage the contents ofthe box, or increase corrosion of the box itself. Other covers may betime consuming and difficult to install. Some covers tend to permanentlyfully or partially close off areas of the cargo box, or make it verydifficult to reach into a front or rear end of the box. Accordingly, animproved pick-up truck cargo box cover is needed.

SUMMARY

An improved pick-up truck cargo box cover has now been invented solvingmultiple problems associated with existing covers. This new cargo boxcover is easy to install. It is also highly resistant to waterpenetration, so that the contents of the box stay dry when covered. Thisnew cover also provides a secure barrier to protect the contents of thebox from theft, vandalism, or from falling out of the box during a roughride. The present cover is also lightweight, yet also durable, strongand rigid. Accordingly, it is able to reduce drag and improve fueleconomy.

In one aspect, a cover assembly for a pick-up truck cargo box includesfirst and second side rails which attach to the sides and/or top of thecargo box. A foldable cover is attachable to the first and second rails.The cover may include a first hinge strip connecting a first panel to asecond panel and allowing the first panel to pivot or fold relative tothe second panel. Typically, a third panel is also included and issimilarly attached to the second panel by a second hinge strip allowingthe second panel to pivot relative to the third panel. A releasablelatch system may be used to hold one or more of the panels onto therails. The cover may accordingly be quickly and secured deployed on orover the box, and also partially or fully folded up to allow access toany section of the cargo box. Other elements and advantages will becomeapparent from the following detailed description. A single embodiment isshown and described as one example of how the invention may be made andused, with various other examples also being possible. The inventionresides as well in subcombinations of the elements described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, wherein the same reference number indicates the sameelement in each of the views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the novel cover installed on a pick-uptruck.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cover and pick-up truck box shown in FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of components of the coverassembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective section view showing an example of aninstallation of the cover assembly shown in FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 5 is a section view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a panel of the cover shown inFIGS. 1-5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the core end frames and hinge stripshown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a section view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the cover assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, withthe first panel folding over onto the second panel of the cover.

FIG. 10 is a side view similar to FIG. 9 and showing the first andsecond panels folding over onto the third panel of the cover.

FIG. 11 is a similar side view showing the first, second, and thirdpanels folding over onto a fourth panel of the cover.

FIG. 12 is a similar side view showing the cover fully folded or open.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the cover as shown in FIG. 12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Turning now in detail to the drawings, a novel cover assembly generallydesignated as 20 is installed on a cargo box 34 of a pick-up truck 30.The cargo box 34 is typically rectangular, and is formed between leftand right box side walls 38, a tail gate 40 at the back of the truck 30,and a front or cab wall 42 at the front of the box 34, adjacent to thecab 32 of the truck 30. The cargo box 34 generally also has a floor 36,shown in FIG. 2, which may be continuous with the box side walls 38and/or the cab wall 42.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cargo box 34 typically has left and right boxrails 50, with a generally flat and horizontal top section 52 and agenerally flat vertical side section 54 forming the box rail 50. Thelower edge of the side section 54 may have a rolled in end 56. Stakepockets or openings 44 may be provided on some cargo boxes 34 throughthe top section 52 of the box rail 50, adjacent to where the top section52 joins into the box side wall 38. FIGS. 4 and 5 show a cargo box 34for a typical pick-up truck 30. Of course, the cover assembly 20 mayalso be used with various other types of cargo boxes, FIGS. 4 and 5showing one example.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the cover assembly 20 includes acover generally indicated as 100, and left and right side rails 60. Thecover assembly 20 may be provided as a kit including the cover 100, theleft and right side rails 60, along with clamps 90, and optionally alsoincluding shims. The cover 100 may also be used separately from the siderails 60 and clamps 90, in other applications.

FIGS. 3-5 show the right side rail 60 installed to the inside of theright side of the cargo box 34. The left side rail and other componentsshown in FIGS. 3-5, on the left side of the cargo box are mirror imagesof the right side. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the side rail 60 has aclamp plate 62 which is typically substantially vertical when the siderail 60 is installed on a cargo box 34, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. A lipplate 64 extends outwardly, generally at a right angle, from the clampplate 62. A lip 66 may be provided on the lip plate 64, with the lip 66resting on the top section 52 of the box rail 50, leaving the lip plate64 spaced apart slightly from the box rail top section 52. A lower endof the clamp plate 62 may have a grooved or roughened surface 68, sothat the side rail 60 can be more securely held in place by the clamps90.

Referring to FIG. 5, a cover support section 70 of the side rail 60extends inwardly from the clamp plate 62. The cover support section 70,in the specific design shown, may have an outer support surface 74spaced apart from an inner support surface 72 by a drain opening 75,shown in FIG. 4. The cover support section 70 may have a ramp surface 78extending downwardly at an angle from the drain opening 75 to a drainchannel 76, as shown in FIG. 5. A drain outlet 80 and a drain tube 82may be provided adjacent to a front or rear end of the side rail 60.Generally, the drain outlet 80 and drain tube 82 are provided adjacentto the front end of the side rail 60, since most cargo boxes 34 tend tobe lower at the front and higher at the back. The cover support section70 of the side rail 60 may also have a latch channel 84, as shown inFIG. 5. Referring momentarily to FIG. 3, each side rail 60 may have anextension plate 86 at the front end of the side rail.

Referring once again to FIGS. 4 and 5, on each side of the cargo box 34,the side rail 60 is attached to the box rail 50. The side rail 60 may beattached in various different ways including clamping, bolting,riveting, adhering, welding, mechanical fittings, etc. In the designshown, the side rail 60 is clamped to the side section 54 of the boxrail 50 via clamps 90. The claim 90 shown in FIG. 5 has an outer jaw 92and an inner jaw 94 connected by a clamp bolt 96. Tightening the clampbolt 96 brings the jaws 92 and 94 together, securing the clamp plate 62of the side rail 60 to the side section 54 of the box rail 50. One ormore clamps 90 may be used on each side. In the design shown, typicallythree clamps 90 are used on each side of the cargo box 34. The rail maybe designed to conform with the clamp shape in order to eliminate anysagging of the rails.

Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 9-11, the cover 100 includes two, three,four, five, or more sections or panels 102 connected by hinge joints104. The hinge joints 104 allow the panels 102 to fold onto each other,to open the cover 100, as shown in FIGS. 9-11. In FIG. 2, first, second,third and fourth hinge joints 104A, 104B, 104C and 104D are shown. Thefirst and fourth hinge joints 104A and 104D may have the same design,for example as shown in FIG. 8. The second and third hinge joints 104Band 104C are similar but include a spacer bar 110 and 112, respectively,as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9-13. The spacer bars 110 and 112 aredimensioned to allow the panels to fold flat onto each other, withoutstressing the hinge joints, as specifically shown in FIG. 13. When thecover is closed, the spacer bars 110 and 112 may also help to strengthenthe cover. The panels 102 are typically rectangular, although squarepanels may also be used. While the cover 100 is especially useful forcovering a cargo box 34 of a pick-up truck 30, it may also be used inother ways. Accordingly, the panels 102 may also have other shapes,besides rectangular or square. The joints 104 may optionally be madewithout any screws or other fasteners requiring through holes.

The panels 102 shown in FIGS. 2 and 9-11 have a width W to length Lratio of about 1:3, although other ratios ranging from 1:1 to about 1:4,5, 6, or 8 may also be used. The hinge joints 104 are typically muchnarrower than the panels 102, with the ratio of the width HJ of thehinge joint 104 to the width W of a panel 102 typically about 1:6 andnormally ranging from about 1:4 to 1:8, 10 or higher. The panel 102closest to the front of the cargo box 34, labeled FP in FIG. 2, may beattached to a relatively narrow cab panel 106, with the cab panel 106attached to the extension plates 86. Referring momentarily to FIG. 12,the narrow cab panel 106 allows the cover 100 to be folded virtuallyentirely off of the cargo box 34, so that virtually all areas of thecargo box 34 are easily accessible when the cover 100 is opened.

The panels 102 may be provided as solid or hollow plates or slabs ofvarious materials or they may be composite structures. In the designshown in FIGS. 3-5, a panel 102 has a core section 108 with a sidechannel 128 attached to the left and right sides of the core. A sidecover strip 130 is attached to the side channel 128. Alternatively, ifno side channel 128 is used, the side cover strip 130 may be attacheddirectly to the core 108. The side cover strip 130 may be provided as astrip of a resilient material, such as rubber, having a top section 134,and a first tapered flap 136, and a second tapered flap 137 as shown inFIG. 3. The second tapered flap 137 seals down onto the top of the railof the truck bed, to help seal out water. A rubber strip 73 is attachedto the rail 72 to prevent metal to metal contact between the panels andrails.

Referring still to FIG. 3, the core 108 may optionally be formed as acomposite structure, for example, a honeycomb core 120 sandwichedbetween a top sheet or plate 122 and a bottom sheet or plate 124 bothadhered or otherwise attached to the honeycomb or other material 120.The top and bottom plates 122 and 124 may be a plastic material, such asABS. This composite design provides a lightweight yet strong and rigidstructure. The side channel 128, if used, may be a simple metal channelsection adhered to the core 108. The side cover strip 130 may beattached to the side channel 128 or the core 108 using adhesives or adouble-sided tape. The side cover strip 130 may be provided as acontinuous single strip attached to each of the panels 102, with theside cover strip 130 sufficiently flexible so that it can fold back overon itself as the panels 102 are folded to open the cover 100, as shownin FIGS. 9-11. Alternatively, the side cover strip 130 may be providedas individual segments separately attached to each panel 102, with a gapbetween the segments on adjacent panels. Double sided tape 132 may beused to secure the strip 130 to the channel 128, as shown in FIG. 5.

Turning now to FIG. 6, adjacent panels 102 are connected to each otherby the hinge joints 104 which include a hinge strip 146, typically madeof rubber or other resilient or flexible material. The hinge strip 146may be attached to adjacent panels 102 in various different ways. In theexample shown in FIG. 6, the hinge strip 146 has first and secondfittings or attachment features 150 and 152, in this case formed asT-sections. The core 108 of adjacent panels 102 have correspondingfeatures or arms 144 for attaching with the fittings 150 and 152 on thehinge strip 146. The features or arms 144 may optionally be provided ona front/rear or lateral frame 140 attached to a front or rear edge ofthe core 108 of adjacent panels 102. In the example shown in FIG. 6, thelateral frame 140 may be provided as a metal extrusion having a slot 142between the arms 144, with the slot 142 dimensioned to slide over andinterlock with the fittings 152 and 154 on the hinge strip 146. Thefittings 150 and 152 may be spaced apart by a flat or web section 154 ofthe hinge strip 146, as shown in FIGS. 6-8. As shown in FIG. 8, thebacking bars may be dimensioned so that with the joint 104 in the closed(unfolded) position shown in solid lines in FIG. 8, the rubber or otherelastomeric material of the hinge strip is optionally slightlycompressed. This compression can help to seal the joint 104.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 8, first and second hinge joint backing bars160 and 162 may be used to stiffen and strengthen the hinge joints 104.The first backing bar 160 may be attached to the core 108 or lateralframe 140 using fasteners 164. The backing bars 160 and 162 may beinterlocking with each other, i.e., having features that engage eachother. Alternatively, the backing bar 160 or 162 may be bonded oradhered to a bottom surface of the hinge strip 146. In manyapplications, the backing bars 160 and 162 may be entirely omitted.

As shown in FIG. 12, a compression spring element, such as an aircylinder 170, is attached to the back end of the front panel FP.Typically, the lower end of the spring 170 may be attached to a fitting172 adjacent a front end of the side rail 60, with the upper end of thespring 170 attached to a mounting plate 174 on a bottom surface of thefront panel FP. The spring element 170 holds the folded cover 100 in anover center position, as shown in FIG. 12.

Referring to FIG. 13, a slam latch assembly 180 is generally providedalong the back edge of each panel 102. The slam latch assembly 180 isused to hold or lock the panels 102 down in a closed position as shownin FIG. 2. Various forms of latch assembly 180 may be used. In theexample shown in FIG. 12, the latch assembly 180 has a latch or plunger182 held within a latch housing 188 and pushed outwardly into the latchchannel 84, shown in FIG. 4, by a spring element 186. The latch 182 mayoptionally have an angled lower surface 184, to better guide the latch182 into the latch channel 84, or other recess. A release mechanism,such as a cable, chain, bar, linkage, etc. 190, is connected to the slamlatches 182 to release them, in this case by pulling on the cable 190,to allow a panel 102 to be opened. As shown in FIG. 13, the releasemechanism 190 may be accessible at a central location, or at locationsalong both sides of the cover 100. This allows the panels to be releasedfrom either side of the truck.

In general, the cover assembly 20 is symmetrical about its center lineCL shown in FIG. 2. Accordingly, the description of components orelements described above applies to both the left and right sides of thecover assembly 20.

The cover 100 and side rails 60 may be manufactured to fit the specificdimensions of a cargo box 34 of a specific pick-up truck 30. For mostcargo boxes 34, the cover 100 has four panels 102, as shown in FIG. 2.However, for shorter cargo boxes 34, three panels or more 102 may beused, while a cover 100 for use on a longer cargo box 34 may have fouror more panels 102. Of course, the width W of the panels 102 may bevaried, and the number of panels 102 used may also be varied, to meetspecific needs.

The cover 100 and the side rail 60 may be provided in a kit made for aspecific cargo box 34 of a specific pick-up truck 30. The clamps 90 andshims may also be included in the kit. Referring to FIG. 5, in somecargo boxes 34, the box rail side section 54 may not be vertical, or itmay recesses tending to interfere with the clamps. In this case, shimsmay be used between the side section 54 and the clamp plate 62 of theside rail 60, so that the side rails 60 are properly positioned. In theexample shown in FIG. 5, the box rail side section 54 is vertical, sothat no shims are needed. To install the cover assembly 20, shims, ifany are needed, are placed on the box rail side section 54. The siderail 60 is then placed onto the box rail 50, on each side of the cargobox 34. The front end of each side rail 60 is positioned all the wayforward on the cargo box 34, with the front end of the side rail 60 incontact with, or closely adjacent to, the cab wall 42 or front end ofthe cargo box 34. The clamps 90 are then installed to securely attacheach side rail 60 to the box rails 50 of the cargo box 34. The cover 100is then placed onto the side rails 60, with the cover 100 all the wayforward on the cargo box 34.

The cab panel 106, if used, is closely adjacent to, or in contact with,the cab wall 42 or front end of the cargo box 34. The cover 100 is thenunfolded, as shown in FIG. 2, to confirm that the cover 100 properlyfits onto the side rails 60 and the cargo box 34. Holes are drilledthrough the cab panel 106 and through the extension plates 86. The cabpanel 106 is then attached to the extension plates 86 using mountingbolts 192, and using spacers and washers. The drain tube 82 is routedthrough an opening in the cab wall 42, or an opening is made in the cabwall or floor for the drain tube. The front end of the side rail 60 istypically closed off with a cap, so that water collecting in the siderail runs out via the drain tube 82. Some trucks have existing drainageholes which can be used.

Referring to FIG. 1, with the cover assembly 20 installed and the tailgate 40 up, the cargo box 34 is entirely covered. The latch assemblies180 secure the panels 102 to the latch channels 84 of the side rails 60.As a result, the cover 100 cannot be opened or removed without openingthe tail gate 40. Consequently, by closing the cover 100 and locking thetail gate 40, the cargo box 34 is secured.

The cover 100 may be opened by opening the tail gate 40. This allowsaccess to the release cable 190. Openings in the latch housing 188, toprovide access to the release cable 190, are provided on both sides ofthe cover 100. Accordingly, the panels 102 may be released by pulling onthe release cable 190 from either side of the cargo box 34. Pulling therelease cable 190 withdraws the latch 182 from the latch channel 84 ofeach side rail 60. The panel 102 can then be flipped or folded up, asshown in dotted line in FIG. 1, and as shown in FIGS. 9-12. The firstpanel is pivoted or folded over onto the second panel, as shown in FIG.9. The release cable 190 of the second panel is then pulled to releasethe latches 182 of the second panel. This allows the second panel, alongwith the first panel, to be folded over onto the third panel, as shownin FIG. 10, and with the same sequence used to release and fold thethird panel onto the fourth panel, as shown in FIG. 11. All of thefolded panels may then be folded into a substantially upright position,as shown in FIG. 12, to fully open the cover 100. A rubber bumper 194may be provided on a bottom surface of the second panel 102, to providea soft contact with the cab 32 when the cover 100 is fully opened, asshown in FIG. 12. The cover 100 is closed using a reverse sequence ofsteps. The back end of each panel 102 is dropped down, causing thelatches 182 to momentarily slide inwardly as the angled surface 184 ofthe latch 182 passes over the inner support surface 72.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the sides of the panels 102 may besupported by both the outer support surface 74 and the inner supportsurface 72 of the side rails 60. These surfaces may be located so thatthe cover 100 sits approximately flush with the box rail top surface 52,as shown in FIG. 5. The lip plate 64 of the side rail 60 necessarilyprojects slightly above the box rail top surface. The flap 136 of theside cover strip 130 may extend outwardly entirely over the lip plate 64and down onto the box rail top section 52. This provides a streamlineddesign, helps to prevent water from leaking into the cargo box 34 andalso provides an aesthetic appearance. Referring to FIG. 5, the topsurface or top plate 122 of the core 108 is approximately at the samelevel as the box rail top section 52. The highest location on the entirecover assembly 20, i.e., the top section 134 of the side cover strip 130may be positioned above the surface 52 by dimension D, which may be onlya few millimeters.

Rainwater may penetrate under the side cover strip 130, or through otherlocations. Water which enters the space between the side rail 60 and thecover 100 will tend to run down and collect in the drain channel 76, asshown in FIG. 5. Water in the drain channel 76, in most cases, will runforward and drain out through the drain outlet and drain tube 82, due tothe slight front to back inclination of the cargo box 34.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 8, rainwater cannot pass through the liquidimpenetrable core 108. Rainwater also cannot penetrate through the hingejoints 104, as the hinge strip 146 forms a water resistant barrier withthe adjoining panels 102. Accordingly, when the cover 100 is closed, asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the contents of the cargo box 34 are secure andprotected from rain. Referring to FIG. 4, the cover 100 does notinterfere with use of stake pockets 44, since the stake pockets 44 arepositioned to be outside of the side cover strips 130. Since the cover100 is supported by, and interacts only with the side rails 60, thecondition of the box rails 50 and dimensional precision of the box rails50 of the cargo box 34 have little or no effect on operation of thecover 100.

The cover assembly 20 provides a secure and weather-resistant cover,which is also light-weight. The cover assembly 20 as shown in thedrawings weighs only about 40 pounds. Since the cover 100 is rigid whenclosed, it can also be used as a working or limited supporting surface.Noise and air turbulence associated with an open cargo box areeliminated, and vehicle fuel economy is improved by reducing drag. Thecover 100 may be used separately from the side rails, in applicationsunrelated to a pick-up truck, such as for a canopy cover, or as a coverfor a storage box, enclosure, freezer, etc.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cover 100 may be generally flush mountedwith the top of the box rail 52. The side rails 60 may be self aligningwith the truck box 34. With the cover 100 supported only on the siderails 60, (and in this case not on the box itself) the entire coverassembly 20 may also be entirely self aligning. This avoids any need fortime consuming or difficult aligning steps during installation. If thebox 34 is tapered from end to end, the cover 100 may be similarlytapered. As shown in FIG. 4, the side rails 60 and the flap 136 extendonly slightly over the box side walls 38, e.g., ¼ or ½ inch in thisspecific design. This leaves the stake pockets 44 open and available foruse when the cover is installed on the truck 30. The downward curvatureof the flap 36, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, helps to seal the cover 100to the box 34, to better keep wind and rain out. The core 120 whileshown as a honeycomb material may optionally be made as solid slab orblock.

Referring to FIG. 5, the clamp jaw 94 may have a surface 95 parallel tothe ramp surface 78 of the side rail 60. As a result, the surface 95 canact as a hard stop for the cover support section 70. As shown in FIG.12, the cover 100 may open up to an angle AA, which can be greater than90 degrees. This provides complete access to the box 34 when the coveris open. Cargo may be loaded to a position higher than the roof of thecab, without removing the cover 100. As also shown in FIG. 12, whenopen, the folded cover takes up very little length, for example 3%, oreven less of the box space. Referring to FIG. 2, a rigid lip 196 may beprovided along the back end of the first section 102, with the lip 196resting on top of the tailgate 40 and cab wall. The lip 196 will preventany sagging of the front and back ends of the cover 100.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, if the cover 100 is made with a top plate122 and a bottom plate 124 (as opposed to single slab, or a single platedesign), the cover 100 will tend to bow up slightly under brightsunlight. The upward bowing may offset sagging. This results because thetop plate 122 having direct sun exposure, will be heated more andundergo more thermal expansion, than the bottom plate. While the topplate 122 and the bottom plate 124 will generally be made of the samematerial, they can also be made of different materials, as desired, toaccount for thermal expansion or other factors.

Thus, a novel cover assembly has been shown and described. Variouschanges and substitutions may of course be made, without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention. The invention, therefore, shouldnot be limited, except to the following claims and their equivalents.

1. A cover assembly for a pick-up truck cargo box, comprising: a firstrail attachable to a first side of the cargo box; a first latch channelin the first rail; a second rail attachable to a second side of thecargo box; a second latch channel in the second rail; a cover attachableto the first and second rails, with the cover including: a first panel;a second panel; a first resilient hinge strip connecting the first panelto the second panel and allowing the first panel to pivot relative tothe second panel; a third panel; and a second resilient hinge stripconnecting the second panel to the third panel and allowing the secondpanel to pivot relative to the third panel; a slam latch assembly on abottom surface of each of the panels, with substantially each slam latchassembly including first and second plungers urged outwardly by firstand second springs into latching positions wherein the first and secondplungers extend at least partially into the first and second latchchannels, respectively, for latching the panels into engagement with thefirst and second rails; a release mechanism associated with each slamlatch assembly for releasing each panel from the first and second railsby moving the first and second plungers inwardly into release positions,wherein from the first and second plungers are withdrawn from the firstand second latch channels; and with movement of each panel intoengagement with the first and second rails causing the first and secondplungers to automatically move momentarily inwardly into the releasepositions, and then move outwardly into the latching positions.
 2. Thecover assembly of claim 1 with the first rail having a clamp plate and alip plate at substantially a right angle to the clamp plate, and with adrain channel attached to the clamp plate.
 3. The cover assembly ofclaim 1 with the first rail having an inner cover support surface spacedapart from an outer cover support surface, and with a drain openingbetween the inner and outer cover support surfaces.
 4. The coverassembly of claim 2 with the first rail further comprising a latchchannel joined to the drain channel.
 5. The cover assembly of claim 1wherein the first and second rails are substantially the same length asthe cargo box.
 6. The cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the first,second, third, and/or a fourth panel are substantially rectangular ortapered to match the shape of the cargo box.
 7. The cover assembly ofclaim 1 wherein the first, second, and third panels each have a front,back, left and right edge, and with the first hinge strip attached tothe front edge of the first panel and to the back edge of the secondpanel, and with the second hinge strip attached to the front edge of thesecond panel and to the back edge of the third panel, and furthercomprising a resilient left cover strip attached to the left edge of thefirst, second, and third panels, and a resilient right cover stripattached to the right edge of the first, second, and third panels, andwith left cover strip extending over the first rail and with the rightcover strip extending over the second rail.
 8. The cover assembly ofclaim 1 wherein the first, second, and third panels each have a front,back, left and right edge, with substantially each panel comprising: ahoneycomb or synthetic core, a top sheet and a bottom sheet attachedrespectively to top and bottom surfaces of the core; left and right sideframes attached respectively to the left and right sides of the core;front and rear frames attached respectively to the front and rear sidesof the core; with the first resilient hinge strip attached to the frontframe of the first panel and to the rear frame of the second panel, andwith the second resilient hinge strip attached to the front frame of thesecond panel and to the rear frame of the third panel; and a left coverstrip attached to the left side frame, and a right cover strip attachedto the right side frame, of substantially each of the first, second andthird panels.
 9. The cover assembly of claim 1 with the first and secondrails each having a panel support surface positioned to support thecover with a top surface of the cover substantially flush with an uppersurface of the cargo box.
 10. The cover assembly of claim 1 furthercomprising a support bar associated with the first hinge strip.
 11. Thecover assembly of claim 1 further comprising: an extension plate on eachof the rails; a cab panel; a first resilient hinge strip connecting thefirst panel to the cab panel and allowing the first panel to pivotrelative to the cab panel; and fasteners attaching the cab panel to theextension plate on each of the rails.
 12. The cover assembly of claim 11further comprising a compression spring element attached to the firstrail and to the third panel.
 13. The cover assembly of claim 1 whereinthe first resilient hinge strip is seamless.
 14. The cover assembly ofclaim 8 wherein the top sheet will expand when heated to create anupward bowing effect.
 15. The cover assembly of claim 8 wherein the sideframes comprise extrusions, and wherein the frames are attached to thecore by adhesion, without use of through fasteners.
 16. A cover assemblyfor a pick-up truck cargo box having first and second box rails,comprising: a cover including: a first panel; a second panel; a firstresilient hinge strip connecting the first panel to the second panel andallowing the first panel to pivot relative to the second panel; a thirdpanel; and a second resilient hinge strip connecting the second panel tothe third panel and allowing the second panel to pivot relative to thethird panel; first and second side rails, with each side rail having: aclamp plate; a lip plate adjacent an upper end of a first side of theclamp plate; a panel support extending from a second side of the clampplate, opposite from the first side; the lip plate of the first andsecond side rails supported on a top surface of the first and second boxrails, respectively; the panel support of the first and second railspositioned by a dimension below the box rails substantially equal to thethickness of the cover, and the panel supports of the first and secondside rails supporting the cover with a top surface of the coversubstantially flush with the top surface of the box rails.
 17. A coverfor a pick-up truck cargo box, comprising: first, second and thirdpanels; a first spacer bar between the first and second panels; a secondspacer bar between the second and third panels; a first panel connectorpivotally connecting the first panel to the first spacer bar andpivotally connecting the first spacer bar to the second panel; a secondpanel connector pivotally connecting the second panel to the secondspacer bar and pivotally connecting the second spacer bar to the thirdpanel; with the first spacer bar having a width less than the width ofthe first panel and the second panel; and with the second spacer barhaving a width less than the width of the second panel and the thirdpanel, and the width of the second spacer bar greater than the width ofthe first spacer bar; a fourth non-foldable panel fixed in place in thecargo box adjacent to a front end of the cargo box, with the third panelpivotally connected to the fourth panel, and with the fourth panelhaving a width less than the first, second or third panels, and first,second and third panels foldable relative to each other and to thefourth panel, to open and close the cover; left and right side slamlatches on the first, second and third panels, respectively, forlatching the panels in place by slamming the panels down; and a slamlatch release mechanism entirely on a bottom surface of each of thefirst, second and third panels and linked to and operating both the leftand right side slam latches on the panels.
 18. A cover for a pick-uptruck cargo box comprising: a cab panel fixed in place on the cargo boxadjacent to a cab of the pick-up truck; a first panel; second panel; athird panel; a first resilient panel connector connecting the firstpanel to the second panel and allowing the first panel to pivot relativeto the second panel; a second resilient panel connector connecting thesecond panel to the third panel and allowing the second panel to pivotrelative to the third panel; a third resilient panel connectorconnecting the third panel to the cab panel; with the first panelfoldable over onto the second panel, and with the first and secondpanels together foldable over onto the third panel, with the first,second and third panels substantially parallel to each other, and withthe first, second and third panels together foldable through an obtuseangle past an upright position relative to the cab; and one or moreresilient elements on a bottom surface of the second panel and adaptedto rest against the cab of the pick-up truck.
 19. The cover of claim 18with the pick-up truck cargo box having left and right side box rails,and with multiple spaced apart stake pocket openings in the left andright side box rails, and with the stake pocket openings remainingunobstructed by the cover, with the cover in the folded or in theunfolded position.
 20. The cover of claim 19 further comprising: a leftside cover rail attached to the left side box rail; a right side coverrail attached to the right side box rail; a latch assembly on a bottomsurface of each of the first, second and third panels that automaticallylatches the panel into the left and right side cover rails, as the panelmoves down onto the side cover rails.
 21. The cover of claim 18 with thethird panel having a width less than or equal to the width of the secondpanel, which prevents any pivoting movement of the second panel aboutthe second resilient panel connector, when the cover is folded up pastthe upright position.
 22. The cover of claim 18 with each of the panelscomprising a composite structure having a core between top and bottomskin layers.
 23. The cover of claim 19 with the top surfaces of thepanels substantially flush with the box rails.
 24. The cover of claim 18with each of the panels comprising a rectangular prism, and with all ofthe panels having substantially equal thickness.
 25. A cover for apick-up truck cargo box having left and right side box rails, and withmultiple spaced apart stake pocket openings in the left and right sidebox rails, comprising: a left side cover rail attached to the left sidebox rail; a right side cover rail attached to the right side box rail; afirst panel, a second panel, and a third panel; a latch and releaseassembly on a bottom surface of each of the first, second and thirdpanels that automatically latches the panel into the left and right sidecover rails via movement of the panels towards the side cover rails; afirst resilient connector pivotally connecting the first panel to thesecond panel; a second resilient connector pivotally connecting thesecond panel to the third panel; a cab panel fixed in place within thecargo box, at a front end of the cargo box; a third resilient connectorconnecting the third panel to the cab panel; the first, second, thirdand cab panels unfolded covering substantially the entire cargo box, butnot the stake pocket openings; and the first panel foldable over ontothe second panel, and with the first and second panels together foldableover onto the third panel, with the first, second and third panelssubstantially parallel to each other, and with the first, second andthird panels together foldable through or past an upright positionrelative to the cab panel, and leaving only the cab panel covering thecargo box.
 26. The cover of claim 25 further comprising one or moreresilient elements on a bottom surface of the second panel and adaptedto rest against the cab of the pick-up truck.